Mom: System re-violating girl

The mother of a 14-year-old Loveland girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by at least three men earlier this year said she feels betrayed by the very system set up to protect her daughter’s rights as a victim.

The mother of a 14-year-old Loveland girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by at least three men earlier this year said she feels betrayed by the very system set up to protect her daughter’s rights as a victim.

The mother, who the Coloradoan isn’t naming to protect her daughter’s identity, said she was focused on getting mental health services for her teenage daughter and was depending on the Larimer County District Attorney’s Office to keep her informed about court proceedings for the four co-defendants police say were involved in a four-day crime spree involving rape, harboring a minor and vehicle theft.

Instead, plea agreements and bond reductions were made without any input from the girl or her mother.

. . . . Victim’s rights laws require prosecutors to notify victims of crucial court proceedings, such as bond-reduction hearings and plea agreements, so they or their family members can attend and offer statements to a judge.

…..Larimer County District Attorney Larry Abrahamson said his office uses an automated system to keep victims and their families updated on court proceedings, and in this instance, the “system did not work as expected.”

“We take full responsibility for the notification process and continue to do what we can to offer support and service to all involved,” Abrahamson said in an e-mail to the Coloradoan responding to the incident.

The girl’s mother said she has already filed a verbal complaint with the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and plans to file formal complaints against all those involved, including prosecutors, Judge James Hiatt and Magistrate Mary Joan Berenato.